Veronica serpyllifolia

This perennial wildflower is 4-12" tall, producing several unbranched stems from its base. Individual stems are decumbent initially, but they become more erect when the flowers are produced. Each slender stem is light green, terete, and sparsely to moderately covered with fine appressed hairs. Pairs of opposite leaves occur along each stem. Early leaves have winged petioles, but later leaves are sessile. The blades of the leaves are ¼-¾" long and about one-half as much across; they are medium green, elliptic-oblong to oval in shape, smooth or slightly crenate along their margins, and glabrous. Each upper stem terminates in a narrow raceme of flowers about 2-7" long. Individual flowers are produced in pairs or alternately along the raceme on short slender petioles up to ¼" long. At the base of each flower, there is a leafy bract that is the same length or a little longer than the petiole; each bract is elliptic or oblong in shape, smooth along the margin, and glabrous. 

This small wildflower is one of several weedy Veronica spp. that have been introduced from Europe. Because of its small stature, it is not often noticed except when sizeable colonies of flowering plants are in bloom. Such colonies can produce an attractive display in lawns as the flowers are usually held above the blades of grass. Thyme-Leaved Speedwell can be distinguished from other Veronica spp. by its terminal racemes of flowers; it does not produce axillary racemes of flowers, nor does it produce individual flowers from the axils of true leaves (as opposed to the smaller leafy bracts). The leaf blades of Thyme-Leaved Speedwell are less toothed than those of many introduced Veronica spp., and it is a smaller plant than most native Veronica spp. While the native Veronica peregrina (Purslane Speedwell) is no larger than Thyme-Leaved Speedwell, the former species has flowers that are more white and its stems are hairless.

Veronica tenella All.:
Canada (North America)
Guatemala (Mesoamerica)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Veronica serpyllifolia var. humifusa (Dicks.) Vahl:
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)
Venezuela (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Veronica serpyllifolia var. serpyllifolia :
Canada (North America)
United States (North America)
Venezuela (South America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Veronica humifusa Dicks.:
Peru (South America)
United States (North America)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Veronica serpyllifolia L.:
Argentina (South America)
Canada (North America)
Chile (South America)
Colombia (South America)
Costa Rica (Mesoamerica)
Ecuador (South America)
Greenland (North America)
Mexico (Mesoamerica)
Peru (South America)
United States (North America)
Venezuela (South America)
South Africa (Africa & Madagascar)
China (Asia)

Note: This information is based on publications available through Tropicos and may not represent the entire distribution. Tropicos does not categorize distributions as native or non-native.

Gansu, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xinjiang, Xizang, Yunnan [widely distributed in north temperate zones and subtropical alpine mountains].

Canada

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

United States

Origin: Exotic

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Unknown/Undetermined

Confidence: Confident

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

Perennials. Rhizomes long, slender. Stems cespitose, creeping, erect from middle, 10-30 cm tall, often branched, villous with multicellular hairs, apically often with multicellular glandular hairs. Leaves sometimes alternate apically on stem, sessile, lower ones sometimes short petiolate; leaf blade ovate-orbicular to ovate-oblong, 0.8-2.5 X 0.7-1.5 cm, margin shallowly incised or rarely entire, veins 3-5 or pinnately veined. Racemes terminal, sometimes also axillary, 10-40-flowered, to 20 cm in fruit, with multicellular glandular hairs; lower bracts similar to leaves in shape. Pedicel 2-4 mm in flower, 4-6 mm in fruit. Calyx 4-lobed. Corolla color variable from almost white with blue lines to solid blue, purple, or purplish red, subrotate, ca. 4 mm. Capsule subreniform, strongly compressed, 2.5-3 X 4-5 mm, base rounded to subtruncate, margin glandular ciliate, apex obtuse and notched. Style ca. 2.5 mm. Seeds flattened, slightly convex on both sides. Fl. Apr-Jun. 2n = 14.

Veronica humifusa Dickson; V. serpyllifolia subsp. humifusa (Dickson) Syme; V. serpyllifolia var. humifusa (Dickson) Vahl.

Mountain meadows; 400-3700 m.

Very little is specifically known about floral-faunal relationship for this species. The flowers are cross-pollinated by flies and small bees (e.g., Syrphid flies, blow flies, and Halictid bees). These insect obtain primarily nectar from the flowers. In limited amounts, the foliage is not particularly toxic to vertebrate animals; it is probably eaten by the Cottontail Rabbit, Groundhog, and Canada Goose. The flat tiny seeds can cling to the feathers of birds, fur of mammals, and shoes of humans; this method of locomotion helps to spread the seeds into new areas.

Veronica serpyllifolia (Thyme-Leaved Speedwell) introduced
(this observation is from Graenicher; insect activity is unspecified; information is limited)

Flies
Syrphidae: Paragus tibialis (Gr)

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / parasite
embedded sorus of Entyloma veronicae parasitises live leaf of Veronica serpyllifolia

Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Peronospora grisea parasitises live Veronica serpyllifolia
Remarks: season: 4-6
Other: minor host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Peronospora verna parasitises live Veronica serpyllifolia

Foodplant / parasite
Sphaerotheca fuliginea parasitises live Veronica serpyllifolia

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 9
Specimens with Barcodes: 15
Species With Barcodes: 1

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NNA - Not Applicable

Rounded Global Status Rank: TNR - Not Yet Ranked

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: T5 - Secure

Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: N4 - Apparently Secure

Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

The preference is full sun to light shade and moist to mesic conditions. Different kinds of soil are tolerated, including those that contain loam, clay, sand, or silt. Most growth and development occur during the cool rainy weather of spring. Range & Habitat